Dr. Widmalm's DDS degree is from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. His doctoral degree (Dr. of Odontology) is from University of Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden. His academic dissertation "Reflex Activity in the Masseter Muscle in Man. An EMG Study.” was published in 1976 by Acta Odontologica Scandinavica as Suppl. 72 (Thesis). He is certified by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare as Specialist of Stomatognathic Physiology. Dr. Widmalm had his own private practice and held various academic positions, mostly part-time, in Sweden before he moved permanently to the University of Michigan in 1983.

His research has involved pain management in dental patient treatment, neurophysiology of the trigeminal system, functional jaw muscle anatomy, dental clinical use of electromyography (EMG), signal analysis applied to EMG and electronic temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sound recordings, morphology of the TMJ as observed in autopsy studies, epidemiology of signs and symptoms of TMJ related dysfunction/disorders in children, signs and symptoms of TMJ involvement in JRA patients. His present research is focused on electronic recording of jaw movements, jaw muscle activity, and TMJ sounds with special emphasis on the analysis of the sound signals’ time-frequency distribution. His special interest is in the progress of TMJ related dysfunction/disorders, prophylactic procedures and methods for early detection of signs and symptoms of TMD. In education his special interest is in diagnosis and treatment of temporomandibular disorder/dysfunction (TMD).